Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer and Gunnar Henderson had four hits and two RBIs as the United States rolled to a 9-1 victory over Britain on Saturday night at the World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park in Houston.
Team USA improved to 2-0 in Pool B at Houston, while Britain dropped to 0-2.
Nate Eaton homered on Tarik Skubal’s first pitch to give Britain a quick lead it held until the fifth inning. But his teammates couldn’t muster anything else at the plate.
U.S. hitters had managed just one single when Ernie Clement reached on an error by third baseman Ivan Johnson to start the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled before Clement scored on a wild pitch by Andre Scrubb to tie it at 1.
Schwarber followed with a 427-foot drive that landed near the back of the second deck in right field to put the United States on top 3-1.
There were two outs in the inning when Henderson’s two-run single made it 5-1.
Aaron Judge, who homered in Friday night’s win over Brazil, knocked out a panel in the metal scoreboard with a 109.6 mph RBI single in a three-run sixth that pushed it to 8-1.
Skubal allowed two hits with five strikeouts in three innings.
It’s scheduled to be the only start of the tournament for the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, who will return to spring training with the Tigers on Sunday.
Britain (0-2) plays Italy on Sunday.
The Americans are off until reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes pitches Monday night against Mexico.